Women at Work

More than a half century ago, women’s work conjured visions of homemakers in aprons or Rosie the Riveter rolling up her sleeves during wartime. Generations of women have fought to open doors to greater opportunities, and their efforts have paid off. With grit and perseverance, women are thriving in careers once dominated by men. For Women’s History Month, the spotlight is on a sampling of Central Oregon professionals who have broken through stereotypes. These women followed their passions, embraced challenges and have elevated the lives of others along the way.

Tracy Williams, Bend Municipal Airport Manager

Overseeing the action and safety at an airport is a critical part of aviation and requires specific skills, such as an Accredited Aviation Executive (AAE) certification. Only 20% of AAE-certified airport executives are women, and Central Oregon’s Tracy Williams is among them. Williams served eight years on active duty in Air Force Command and Control, tracking aircraft and weapon systems globally. Along the way, she earned undergraduate and graduate degrees in aeronautics, her pilot’s license, and established herself as a leader in airport management. 

“I breathe aviation; I thrive on the fast pace. But I was ready for a balanced life. That’s what brought me to Bend,” said Williams. When Williams accepted the Bend Airport manager position in 2020, she set her sights on raising the regional airport to a higher level of safety and technology with the addition of an air traffic control tower. “Years ago, the Bend Airport was a sleepy operation. We’re not sleeping anymore,” said Williams. The airport has approximately 140,000 takeoffs and landings per year as the third busiest airport in Oregon, and the tower is long overdue. Breaking ground in December 2025, the new 115-foot control tower will add a critical layer of safety for pilots, who currently must talk to each other directly. “Guiding this project to completion feels like a capstone. If I could choose a legacy to leave, it’d be this tower.”

Sami Gotschall, Helicopter Pilot

The first woman to earn a helicopter pilot license was Ann Shaw Carter, in 1947. Since then, helicopter flying has expanded into many sectors, yet the percentage of female pilots has grown slowly, barely nudging past 10% in 2023. Sami Gotschall, of Bend, sees a world of opportunity for more women in aviation.

After completing her training at Leading Edge Aviation in Bend in 2018, Gotschall flew helicopter tours over the Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam and worked as a flight instructor. Then the Camp Fire raged through her childhood hometown of Paradise, California, a disaster that compelled Gotschall to use her skills to fight wildfires. She shifted to aerial firefighting, flying in quick-response firefighters and water buckets in a Bell 407. These days, her work helps prevent wildfires from starting. As a utility flyer, she carries crews and equipment on external long lines into remote areas for power line repairs. It’s precision flying that requires a calm demeanor, persistence and spatial awareness, according to Gotschall.

“I stay on high alert because human beings are attached to the line hanging below me. Getting them to the exact spot takes finesse, a soft approach. Using both hands and feet, and sometimes my head is out the window, I consider the weather, the aerodynamics and the mechanics of the load,” she said. “Getting the linemen back safely at the end of the day is the best reward.”

Trish Connolly, Deputy Fire Chief

“I never intended to be a groundbreaker. I just wanted to do this work,” said Trish Connolly of Bend Fire Department. In 2020, when Connolly was its first female firefighter, only 2% of career firefighters across the country were women. Today, Connolly serves as deputy chief at Bend Fire and Rescue, and her work lifts the department as a whole. “We have such talented, capable people and an open, caring culture. My goal is to help each [person] work to their highest ability,” said Connolly. 

Women now make up only 5% of firefighters nationwide, and Connolly emphasizes the need for more. “Firefighters need physical fitness, but not brute strength. The great majority of emergency calls are medical, and we need a diverse team of responders who can solve problems in different ways,” she said.

One piece of advice she received early in her career has stayed with her. “My mentor reminded me I was hired as a female, so I should lead as a female. Lead as my authentic self. That helped me step into my role and trust myself. I think that advice is something more women should hear—to not be afraid to lead as a woman.”

Julia Sparks, Bike Guru

While Bend’s singletrack hums with female bikers, it’s a different story elsewhere. Nationwide, only one in five mountain bikers is a woman, and even fewer work on bikes or in bike shops. For Julia Sparks, a love of adventure biking runs in her family and drives her business, Chariot Bike. Working as a bike mechanic for more than a decade and inspired by her grandmother, who rode across the country in 1948 on a bicycle named Chariot, Sparks launched the Chariot mobile bike repair van in 2020. After five years of growth, Chariot Bike now fills a storefront stocked with gravel and mountain bikes, bike repair stations, bikepacking gear, community event space, and coming soon: a coffee bar. Sparks has kept the space flexible for DIY repair workshops and other gatherings.

“Without our Bend community, Chariot would not exist,” she said. On her rare days away from work, Sparks follows her grandmother’s example and rides her bike into nature. “Bikes get you outdoors. You forget the rest of the world and recharge,” she said. “I just want more people to get on bikes.”

Katie Pendleton, Homebuilder & Karen Smuland, Architect

A woman’s place hasn’t traditionally been in building a home. Today, women make up just 10% of the construction workforce, and the numbers are similar for residential contractors. When Katie Pendleton began her career, she knew there could be obstacles, but she didn’t let that hold her back. She gained valuable experience in commercial building, but had a passion for creating beautiful homes. In 2020, Pendleton launched The Fort, her residential construction business.

Working in construction means constant problem solving and collaboration with architects, subcontractors and clients. For Pendleton, that requires strong relationships. “I never take respect or trust for granted; I earn it through my work,” she said. This year, Pendleton will serve as president of the Central Oregon Builders Association.

While construction has been slow to open doors, the number of women in architecture has steadily increased in number from 20% in 2000 to nearly half of all new architects in 2023. Architect Karen Smuland appreciates the balance between art and science in the field of architecture. As a registered architect with LEED Accredited Professional certification, Smuland weaves sustainability into her designs. “Most of my clients want a fire-wise approach, and lean toward net-zero energy usage through solar panels and responsible design principles,” she said. Smuland’s designs aim to bring the outdoors in, with natural light and intentional views to connect to nature.

Architecture relies on technical knowledge, physics and mathematics, but art is what makes a design special, according to Smuland.

“Feeding that creative spark is important, even when other parts of the work try to take over,” she said.

Michelle Mitchell, Cofounder of Humm Kombucha

Craft brewing has long been considered a guy’s world, but kombucha breaks that mold. Industry organizations estimate 40% of kombucha companies today are women-owned with female brewers. Bendites Michelle Mitchell and Jamie Danek brought this trend home when they launched their kombucha company during the worst recession of this century.

In 2008, Mitchell and Danek got together for a glass of Mitchell’s homebrewed kombucha. Inspired by its health-boosting probiotic vitality, they began selling gallon jugs of the bubbly, non-alcoholic brew. They never imagined they’d still be making kombucha 16 years later as a national brand, with 160 employees and in 2024 its 100 millionth bottle rolling across the production line.

“It’s always been about making people feel great, internally and externally,” said Mitchell. The pair grew from single jugs to a full-scale brewery by holding true to their core values: healthy business, partnership, quality and optimism. That translates to fastidious quality control, responsible fiscal planning, and building a team that feels like family, according to Mitchell.

As Chief Culture Angel, her unofficial title, Mitchell is responsible for worksite culture and community engagement. “We rely on both hard science and what I call heart science, meaning intuition and creativity to solve problems,” said Mitchell. “And, we have an amazing brewing community in Bend that helped us every step of the way.”

For aspiring entrepreneurs and brewers, Mitchell has some advice. “Ask tons of questions. Gather information. Reach out to collaborate, but trust your gut to bring your idea to light.”